


Snippets

by rosieblue



Category: Boy Meets World
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-22
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-08-10 10:31:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7841347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosieblue/pseuds/rosieblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bits and pieces of Angela's year in Europe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Snippets

 

Angela enjoyed Italy; she really did, but some things felt missing.   
  
Some things like the familiarity of Philadelphia's streets and Pennbrook's halls and the warmth of her dorm room and that perfectly not-as-great-as-it-should-be cup of coffee from the Student Union.   
  
There were other things, too, that she missed.   
  
Specifically, she missed Topanga's laugh and jokes and hugs and Cory's quirks and high-strung disposition and Shawn, in general.

 

The cafés in Italy were poetic and their atmosphere breathtaking and her father looked down right ecstatic that they were in the same exact place for once in their lives. 

  
"It'll be a chance to make some new memories, right, Angel?", her father would often say, smile overtaking his entire face.   
  


Angela would then smile back and nod and think of the different possibilities of the memories they could make. The idea of getting on a train and heading to France for the weekend seemed especially alluring.   
  
Who knows, maybe she'll one day say that she and her father once skied the French Alps. Or she could casually point out that the Louvre was fascinating but not quite what she expected, much to the chagrin of her best friend. She might even get to say that the happiest Father's day she spent with her father was on an exciting quest to make new memories.

 

* * *

 

  
  
" ~~\--~~ oh yeah, yeah, T. We just got back from the Louvre, sorry I missed the last two calls."  
  
There was a slight pause from the other line and Angela could feel Topanga's curiosity and slight jealousy coming from the other end.   
  
"You went to the _Louvre?_  ! God, Ang, how was it?"  
  
"You know, breath-taking, mesmerizing, the usual", she shook her head a little. "No, it was great, honestly, but it didn't feel right without you there. I'm sending you photos in my next letter."  
  
"Ang, you do know we'll have to make it up to when you come back, I mean, going to the Louvre was _our_ plan! I'm going to have the worst time trying to find a museum that can one up the fucking Louvre. "   
  
Angela smiled and was about to say that yes, Topanga, of course, and either way you'll end up choosing a good museum so it won't matter, but Topanga continued.  
  
"Oh, and by the way, I _love_ these Louboutins you sent me. They're literally my most prized pair now, Angela!"  
  
"Of course they would be, I picked them out", Angela said, smirking. "How does Cory like his knitting needles?"   
  
Topanga sighs very visibly from the other end of the line and Angela can almost feel the exasperation coming out of the speaker. "Don't remind me. Literally _everyone_ in his vicinity gets a sweater. Shawn and I have five each!"  
  
At the mention of his name, Angela freezes a little and can almost swear she can feel Topanga tense up.   
  
"Where _is_ Shawn, Topanga? He hasn't written me back or called in a month."  
  
"He's not in the best mood right now", Topanga confesses. "Shawn is literally avoiding all of us right now, and I'm not even sure why."  
  
Angela thinks about it for a moment and can't seem to put her finger on it until she remembers what month it was a month ago.   
  
"The anniversary of his father's death was last month.", she says, worried. "Do you think ~~\--~~ "  
  
"Oh no, no, he can't be drinking. He has more sense now."  
  
Angela nods, the worry not really letting go of her. She feels the overwhelming urge to change the subject.   
  
"How are you on the phone with me for this long, by the way? International calls are super expensive."  
  
"I haven't told you, right", Topanga begins, and she must be smiling smugly because her smile sounds like it's getting bigger. "I found this really sketchy deal going on in with my supervisors in the firm and I threatened to go to the boss and he told me he'd give me anything I ask for."  
  
Angela shook her head, laughing. "And what did you ask for?"  
  
"Ah, you know. I asked for unlimited phone access. I _particularly_ emphasized the importance of international calls."  
  
"Oh my God, you've been there for less than three months and you're already blackmailing supervisors? You're _so_ going to get made partner before thirty."  
  
"God, Ang, I can only hope!"  
  
  


* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

Italian streets and architecture were something to behold, though she didn't really know if the buildings were as beautiful as they seemed or if she was subconsciously pushed to look at them that way because of all the talk about _'romantic Europe'_.

Angela spent her early days taking photo after photo of every nook and cranny she found particularly wonderful, which was nearly every single place she went.

She sometimes still takes her camera with her when she goes out, hesitant that she was going to miss something too wholesome not to capture.

 

There always a fountain here or there, with water that looked as blue as their family's old car; the one her mother would sometimes pick her up from school with and pleasantly surprise her by going to the movies instead of home.

And sometimes there were chapels and churches that looked like the ones she and Topanga stumbled upon that one month they went road-tripping last summer and she'd remember that time she told her best friend that rude joke at one of those chapels and how she'd laughed so hard it was almost blasphemous.

Angela always had to take a photo then, copy it, stick a note to it and write the reason she took that one photo. Sometimes she'd send copies of those photos to Topanga and she would write her _'remember when we were at this chapel in Nebraska and I told you that joke about the Pope and we were kicked out'?_ or _'hey, this one looks just like that Wisconsin church we slept in that one night we couldn't get to a motel'._

Topanga would write her right back and would reply with things like _'that nun so didn't kick us out; she just let us off with a very strong warning'_ and _'no, that was that church in Jersey. Wisconsin was the one when we accidentally bought those pot brownies'._

There was a certain warmth and comfort in those letters, Angela knew, but sometimes she didn't know whether she should laugh or cry because missing her best friend was unbelievably horrible.

 

 

* * *

 

 

  
Long distance relationships were, to her complete un-surprise, hard.

 

The gaps between the letters and the calls made her think sometimes that maybe Shawn had given up, as he sometimes did when things got too difficult and heartbreak seemed not so far away.

Sometimes, she would sit and think about it. A lot could happen in a year, and sometimes what would happen wasn't necessarily good.

She feared them falling apart because of how sporadic the conversation seemed between them, and it worried her enough already that maybe by the time she gets back they'll be completely different people.

In hindsight, it was a little too good to be true.

They were seventeen and in love and then they were eighteen and apart, and nineteen and never happier. Now, there they were; twenty and apart but together, in love but miles away.

 

"He's just not talking, T, that's not good", she confided to her friend one day. "It's never good when someone cuts you off like that."

Topanga humphed a little. "Okay, I have an idea. You remember how I have these unlimited phone privileges now?"

"I'm listening."

 

* * *

 

 

Topanga, as the case always is, proves her ideas to be total genius.

 

"Hey", he says on the first day Topanga sneaks him into her office.

Angela is giddy with joy and curiosity at how Topanga handled sneaking Shawn in, but she manages a response. "Hey yourself."

There is a silence that lasts a little too long and neither of them attempts to fill it until Angela hears Topanga's muffled voice saying _'are you kidding me?'_.

She starts first.

"I miss you, you know. It's been a long time."

"Yeah", he agrees, hesitantly. "I know, long time."

 

Topanga's voice is shrill as it makes its way to the speaker. "Oh my God, Shawn, tell her you miss her already. You certainly have no trouble moping about it at home!"

 

Angela laughs a little. "Please say something so we don't have to hear her yelling", she says.

He's laughing too now and she realizes, as she feels a pang, that she misses his laugh and misses making him laugh more.

"Alright, um, so as you can guess, I miss you."

"I'd never have guessed that from all the writing back you've been doing"

"I'm sorry I didn't write back", he says. "I just didn't really know what to say ~~\--~~ I probably would've sent you three thousand letters about how Cory thinks every laundromat owner in the city is against him."

 

Angela laughs, picturing the situation a little too vividly in her head.

"No", she said, trying to kill the laughter. "Why didn't you really write back?"

"I was...scared", he finally admitted, sighing a little.

She scrunched her nose a little. "Of what?"

"Well, it's a combination of ~~\--~~ ", his voice was faint for a second, but she managed to hear him ask Topanga if she could leave the room for a few minutes. "I, uh..."

"Combination of?", she prompted.

"Yeah, it was a combination of fear, guilt, I don't know, the usual? Where do you wanna start?"

Angela shakes her head a little. "The fear?"

"Well", he begins, voice losing pep. "I was just so _scared_ I'd lose you, and I just ~~\--~~ I lost too many people this year and there you were, leaving ~~\--~~ "

Angela tried to interrupt, but he was picking up pace now.

" ~~\--~~ and I knew you _had_ to go and I'm really happy you did, but I was still scared. And then I thought maybe a little time would be good so we can think about this ~~\--~~ "

"Shawn, you could've told me. I was scared I was losing you too."

 

He doesn't reply right away, and Angela guesses he's preparing to say something ridiculous.

"Maybe we need some time apart. I mean, I'm here and you're way over there and you know what they say about long distance rel ~~\--~~ "

"Are you seriously trying to break up with me _again_?"

There's a slight pause. "...No, I don't want to."

"Then why are you doing this?"

"It might hurt less that way, I suppose. People change a lot in a year, you know, and I'm not sure you'd still love me like that then."

Angela sighed a little. "Look, Shawn, I'm thousands of miles away and I can confirm I still love you. You remember what I said; we're not going to say goodbye, we never are."

"I remember that, and I love you too, Angela, I always will."

 

"You know", she begins, smiling. "It's the strangest thing, but I was taking a walk on the beach and I found this lovely seashell."

"Did it remind you of me?", he says, and there is a smile in his voice too. "I'd love to add it to my Angela collection of seashells."

She's biting her lips a little, trying to find a witty thing to say. "You just might", she says, settling on that.

 

 

 

* * *

 

That Christmas was the best Angela had had in a long time, for many reasons.

For one reason, it was the first Christmas she'd spent with her father in two years. Another was that they were spending Christmas in Spain and how often did that happen, really? The third one was probably the surprise her father was planning.

"It'll be the best Christmas present, Angel. I can't wait to see your face."

His father laughs for quite a while at what he probably thinks her face would look like and she's getting a little suspicious.

"Okay, no present is going to make you laugh this hard, Dad."

"Well, it's not a regular present."

 

 

They arrive at the Barcelona Airport at nine a.m. and Angela can barely open her eyes much less wait for her father at the baggage claim, but the bags were no where near almost there and so they had to wait.

Angela gives up half an hour later and sits on the nearest airport bench, eyes half-shut. Her father soon sets one bag next to her and mentions, cheerily, that there were only two more to go. "We'll be at that hotel sooner than you know it, honey."

 

Her father's footsteps sound further away and someone throws themselves into the seat next to her in a way that makes them entirely way too physically close.

 

Her eyes are still half-shut, but she starts anyway. "There is this lovely thing called personal space, if you haven't heard."

"Oh come on, babe, we sat way closer than this on daily basis."

The voice is way too familiar that it gives Angela a jolt and her eyes are no longer half-shut.

"Shawn?!", she says, because it somehow feels too good to be true and she wonders if maybe it's the lack of sleep. "Really?"

He smiles and it's so like him, she's positive she's not just seeing things. "I missed you."

  
She gets up and so does he and they're hugging now and she's thinking maybe it's because of the lack of sleep, but she's hearing music in the background.  
  
"I told you it was going to be a great surprise", her father says, looking at them, with the same smile he had on before. "Had a good flight, Shawn?"  
  
"Yes, sir, it was terrific actually."  
  
Angela hugs her father and whispers a _'thank you'_ and her father pats her back and she's thinking all that was missing now was Topanga and by extension, Cory.   
  
His father lets her go and he's looking at her like he wants to make a joke but thinks better of it. "How do you like your _present?"_  
  
She shakes her head and laughs a little. "You really got me this time, Daddy."   
  


Her father turns to walk and Shawn's giving her a look that he usually has when he's about to make an innuendo of some form. "Maybe you might get to unwrap your _present_ when we get to that hotel room?"

  
Her father turns around and his face is twisted a little in mild shock. "Son, you could have waited until I was out of earshot. That was just unnecessary."  
  
"Sorry, sir", Shawn says, even though his face says he's only really half-sorry.   
  
"You be safe now", her father says. "I wouldn't mind grandchildren through you, Shawn, but it's entirely way too early for me to be a grandfather."  
  


 

* * *

 

 

  
Angela almost forgets how much she enjoys talking to Cory, until she finally does, much to his chagrin.  
  


"Okay, Angela Moore", he begins, playfully. "I know missing me might have tampered with your ability to call but this is just ridiculous!"  
  
"I miss you too, Cory", she says, rolling her eyes a little at her friend. "It's boring without you"  
  
"Oh, now it's ' _boring without me_ '", he says, mock-angrily. "It didn't seem boring when you met Za-hara and that Lucille!"  
  
" _Zahra_ ",Angela corrects. "And really, Cor, I missed you a lot. You get that birthday present I sent you?"

 

There was a little pause. "Angela, it is the loveliest set of yarn I've ever seen!".

 

She laughs a little and Cory decides to continue with the banter.   
  
"Why I'm simply speechless, you talk to Topanga everyday. You talk to Shawn every chance Topanga gets to sneak him here and don't get me started on the fact that your father sent for him instead of", he gasped a little. " _Me_ "  
  
"Well", she began. "Dad has had this inkling that it'd be good for us to see each other and, you know, hang out."  
  
"You could've hung out with me; Shawn and I are practically the same person!"  
  
"No, you see, sometimes when Shawn and I hang out we do things like have sex."  
  
"...We could have easily replaced that with Bingo."  
  


 

* * *

 

  
  
New York feels alien and weird to her a little more this time and Angela suspects it has something to do with the jet-lag, but she shifts her focus to other important things.  
  
One important thing was that she finally found the building where her friends lived. Another important thing was that their buzzer was broken and she had to wait for someone with a key to let her into the building.

  
  
Angela didn't mean to give Topanga a near-heart attack but somehow, it just happened.   
  
Topanga dropped the garbage bag into the chute, turning around to see Angela step out of the elevator and jumps, a little startled. Her mouth was beginning a curse word and her hand instinctively shot to her heart.  
  


"Holy shit, Angela!", she said before engulfing Angela into the strongest bear hug she'd ever had. "I missed you."

Angela struggled to move. "I missed you too, Topanga. Let go of me so I can hug you back."

Topanga let her go and Angela raised her arms a little and they hugged again, this time much longer.

 

"I never thought I'd see you with short hair. It looks great on you", Angela said, patting her friends back.

Topanga laughed a little, tightening her grip. "You should have seen it on the first few days; it was disgusting. You look absolutely stunning by the way!"

They stay hugging for three more minutes, neither really wanting to let go, before a stream of swears and yelling is heard from the apartment.

 

"Hey, Topanga, Cory's burning the chicken so bad it's dying all over again", Shawn says, coming out of the door. "How does taking trash out take all this time by the wa ~~\--~~ "

He stops abruptly and his mouth falls open and he's incapable of speaking for a few moments.

"Angela?"

 

 

 

  
Dinner at Topanga and Cory's is great, even with the burnt chicken, mostly because Angela was starving.   
  


"Guys, you know", Angela began. "This place looks exactly like your old dorm room."  
  
Topanga gives Cory an exasperated look. "Cory did the decoration _again_."  
  
"Hey", Cory protested. "It looked great back there; you loved it!"  
  


Angela laughs a little and tries to ignore Shawn rubbing her thighs perhaps a little too suggestively.   
  
"Rach, when did you get here, by the way? No one told me you were back"  
  
"We weren't sure when we'd be back exactly. We got here just last week", Rachel says, her voice a bit hoarse.  
  


Cory snorted a little. "You should have seen Eric! He was already unbelievably excited you were coming back and suddenly Jack and Rachel pop out of nowhere; it was like his birthday!"  
  
There was a little laughter, but Angela furrows her eyebrows a little. "Where _is_ Eric? And Jack?"

  
Rachel nods. "Oh, yeah, they're probably still doing it in the laundry room."  
  
Shawn stops rubbing Angela's thighs and looks shocked. "Again?!"  
  
"Yeah", Rachel began. "I thought it might be cats this time, but no, it was them again."  
  
"Well, you know, they didn't see each other for a long, long time", Topanga adds.   
  
Cory nods, eyeing his best friend, who's now rubbing his girlfriend's thigh again. "If there are blue balls somewhere, somehow there's always a Hunter involved. Right, Shawn?"

 


End file.
